


The Antithesis on Delusion

by truth_seeker_1789



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: A lot of what-ifs, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Magic, Archduke Uther Pendragon, Character Study, Court Sorceror Merlin if you squint, Diarchy, Dragons Welcome, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I might explore this more, Kilgarrah and Aithusa doing their thing, King Morgana, Knights of the Round Table Mentioned, Lady Morgause, Magic Revealed, May make this a series, Morgana is good, Morgana is happy, Morgause is good, Not Sure where Will is, Queen Gwen, Seer Morgana, Uther isn't a dick, Uther just wants his kids happy, Uther wants grandkids, Will and Freya are probably off on whacky adventures somewhere, Worldbuilding, king arthur - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 14:32:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10492947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truth_seeker_1789/pseuds/truth_seeker_1789
Summary: Morgana was a monster; she betrayed her family, her friends, and her ideals in a bloodthirsty drive for power.But that wasn't this world.





	

##### [a glimpse through the veil]

 

 

 

 She awoke with a burning in her throat, a scream frozen to her lips, and fiery tears streaking from her eyes.

 

She was desperately shaking, fingers clawed in an effort to pull herself away from the monster that had been trying to kill her, to help her escape from the traitor who had held her as he killed her.

 

She was dying, and the world as she knew it was darkening around her. She was trapped, desperate, seeking any form of safety-

 

But these images and desires drifted away as her heart raced in her chest, her breath anxiously sought the normal, steady pace it longed for. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering throughout her room, the moonlight falling gently on silken sheets and charming tapestries. She closed her eyes again, haunting images of the visions that had awoken her playing once more through her mind, the visage of her dearest friends turned enemies, of loving blue eyes plagued with regrets and hatred, of her brother-

  

She released an exhausted sigh, allowing herself to summon forth her serenity.

 

 

It was a glimpse into another lifetime, perhaps, a vision of what could have been.

 

Those dreams were the most troubling of her visions. Her Sight told her stories of monsters that the world could never truly survive, the deaths of her dearest friends and loved ones, of a world where she would never find-

 

 

Well, that was simply ridiculous, she assured herself, as she rose from the safety of her bed, flames on a nearby candelabra flickering to life with a passing thought, her feet carrying her to the window overlooking the courtyard.

 

In her nightmares, she would gaze upon a pyre, a gallows, a bucket to collect the loose heads of her brethren.

 

 

But in this world, in her life-

 

 

She gazed upon a beautiful grassy commune, a place where servants and nobles alike would meet on equal ground to share conversation about the weather, where magic-users from all over the kingdom would share their gifts, a sanctuary for anyone seeking the right to embrace who they truly were.

 

The Lady Morgause, her sister by both blood and bond, often held small discussions there with the youngest of Camelot's citizens, sharing stories of her adventures, lessons in magic and sword alike, and finding comfort in watching the children's eyes take in her parlor tricks, their spirits seeming alight with their wonderment.

 

 

She released a contented sigh, allowing the comforting images of the blonde's grins and casual jests against both Uther and Arthur to wash over her.

 

 

The former had not been overjoyed at first to welcome the Lady to Court, but it was Arthur's insistence, when he was granted his kingship by Uther's request, that those who had shown their value and nobility, by blood or nay, should be rewarded.

 

And thus came the knighting of the peasants, the elevated statuses of Gwen, Tom, Hunith and Merlin, and her own rise to serve at Arthur's side.

 

 

Her lips quirked at the memory: the Council nearly all fainted at the law that both Arthur and Morgana would be consulted equally on all matters of state, for why should one King rule by his judgement alone, when another party with equal wisdom and status could offer their own solutions?

She often wondered to herself if she gained the title simply because he was intimidated by her skills with magic, her growing connections to the magical community, or if it had to do with the steely gazes Gwen would level at him whenever he unintentionally tried to slight her.

 

No matter. She would have been contented to be a Princess forever, but being a King herself was alright as well.

 

 

Her thoughts flickered back to the ominous visions of a world that would never come to pass. It was almost comical, some of those dreams.

 

 

 

It was a world in which Merlin never confided in her, where he was not even a mentor, let alone her closest friend, but also her greatest enemy.

  

It was a world in which her own thoughts and desires had corrupted her so deeply that she used it all on Gwen, ridding her heartsister of her spirit, taking away her free will and manipulating the girl to try to kill her one true love.

  

It was a world in which Uther was bloodthirsty for all of the improper reasons, where he was a ruthless tyrant and held all responsible for something that was beyond anyone's control.

 

It was a world in which she was willing to do anything to kill her brother, a world in which she saw no hope of retribution, where all she held dear came to mean nothing to her if it did not come with ultimate power and a crown.

 

 

She pitied the woman of that realm.

 

She sent her deepest empathies to the woman of that realm.

 

She felt sorrow for the girl who had been alone, who had never been given the opportunity to learn about her gift among friends, whose sister was spat upon by those she had once loved.

 

But most importantly, she thanked her lucky stars and the Goddess that she was not the woman of that realm.

 

 

Albion was a free land: Camelot was a realm with two Kings. A grumpy Archduke demanded grandchildren from either of his heirs. Dragons roamed the skies, and new adventures crashed- sometimes quite literally\- through their gates every day.

  

There were always more stories waiting to be told, new discoveries to be made, and new friends to welcome at their table.

 

 

 

Her eyelids fluttered shut once more, her forehead falling gently against the cool glass of her window. She took a refreshing breath, the taste of spring on the breeze, and the songs of birds softly carrying on the air as they awoke from their slumber, preparing to welcome the eventual dawn.

  

The last wisps of her nightmare drifted away, the fog leaving her mind with only warm memories.

 

  

Morgana opened her eyes; she was at peace.

 

 

 

 

 

*

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a sort of fix-it, with a bit more references to the legends because I am forever salty.
> 
> Uther is now an Archduke, though England doesn't really have much history of kings stepping down, so I had to run on the titles introduced by the Holy Roman Empire. If there is someone more knowlegdable on the subject of the proper titles for retired English kings, please let me know. I literally spent seven hours of my life trying to find answers on this.
> 
> (Also I will always be amused by the trope of Grandpapa Uther, or Uther generally being an even better father than he was.)
> 
>  
> 
> I'm not entirely certain if a system with two rulers would ever in effect actually work, but I think it's an interesting pursuit. Narnia provided a good example to me, and I think Morgana and Arthur both had their own strengths as leaders; it would be very interesting to see them working together on equal ground and contribute their own ideas to the ruling of the nation.


End file.
